Jehan-grin

Gabriel Randon , known as Jehan-Grin (Boulogne-sur-Mer, September 23rd 1867 - Paris, November 6th 1933) is a French poet, famous for his made up works in popular language.

Biography

He was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer and spent the first years of his childhood between Paris and Grande-Bretagne.
His/her mother, Adine-Gabrielle Randon, had been born from the loves ancillaires of a soldier, Joseph Randon.
His/her father, who had not recognized it legally, would have been professor of gymnastics and would have worked for the Court of England.

Gabriel was 9 years old when his/her parents separated. The mother and the child lived Paris. This one was characterial and had taken his/her son in influenza. It made him leave the school towards the 13 years age to earn its living. Between 16 and 19 years, it separated definitively from this mother with whom it was in permanent conflict. Delivered to itself, he survived by exerting various small trades (deliveryman, operation, sweeping, boy of race, employee of trade…). The life was hardly lenient for him, and it was often found without roof, conduit with cotoyer the tramps and vagrants of Paris.

However he attended especially the Montmartre artists and anarchists, writing poems (of a still traditional invoice) which were published in reviews. As from 1889 it occupied various stations of employee, but showed itself there particularly unstable. It is in one of these offices that it could bind friendship with Albert Samain. The two poets helped themselves to make hear their voices in the literary circles.

Towards 1892, it was directed towards journalism.

Then to him the idea had just composed of the poems where a tramp would express himself in popular French of the time. In 1895, it began with the cabaret from Quat' z' Arts, under the pseudonym of Jehan Rictus, which it will keep. (Let us note that, on the end of his life, the author insisted that one puts a hyphen at his pseudonym, which many editors, criticisms, etc omitted, regarding “Jehan” as a first name and “Grin” like a false patronym.)

It gained one big hit in this trade of chansonnier, and was invited to recite its poems not only in the cabarets but in trade-union and political festivals, and in dinners society men.

In 1897 appeared in subscription its first collection, the Soliloquies of poor the . Quickly exhausted the book was republished by the Mercure de France. It contains its most known poem, the Ghost , where a homeless person believes to meet the Christ.

A new collection Complaints in 1900, then Cantilenas of misfortune in 1902, containing in particular Jasante of the Old woman , where the author makes speak the mother about a guillotine as it came to be collected with the common grave where his/her son was buried.

An edition remelted of the Soliloques appeared in 1903. Avoided many illustrations of Steinlen it is its most known book.

The single novel of the author, Wire , appeared in 1906. Jehan-grin evokes there its childhood with the Hair-of-carrot .

Appeared then a play in an act, played in 1905: Sunday and non-working Monday or the Number gaining , a test lampoonist a literary bluff: the case Edmond Rostand in 1903, a mime the Society woman in 1909, other poems isolated ( the Fun in 1903, the Small Huts in 1907).

It also contributed to many reviews ( the Plate with Butter , Comoedia ), until the publication in 1914 of its second major poetic collection, . .le popular Heart . Grin attends the nimble Lapin , where it will meet Guillaume Apollinaire, max Jacob… After the war, it did not publish almost more.

It reconsidered the front of the scene in the years 1930, when his/her friend the novelist Jeanne Landre published the Soliloquies of Poor of Jehan Rictus , the first book with being devoted to the poet, but an annoying work tending to establish a “legend Jehan Rictus”. Actually the poet lived correctly, bourgeoisement, of various resources: royalties, subsidies public and private… Another invention of the poet: he would be grandson of a Jacques Randon of Saint-Lover, count and Marshal of France…

He died in Paris in 1934 to 66 years. He had not published anything any more since 1914 but its work continued to be known; thus the singer Marie Dubas had made in 1934 an interpretation of the Charlotte who had a great success (but that the author disapproved).

It leaves immense a new Diary.

Extracts

Extracts of the Soliloquies of poor the

The Winter

Merd' ! V' there the Winter and its dur' t-pieces,

V' there moment of pus mett' with hairs:

V' there that ceuss' which tienn' T the queu' of the poële

In the South goes carapater!

V' there ousque time as far as Hanover

And of Gibraltar to the Gray course Noses,

Borgeois, the evening, go plaind' the Poor

To the corner of fire… after dining!

…

And that one kills to me or that I go in prison,

I of insane, I do not know pus of constraints:

I am the Modern' Man, who pushes his complaint

And you know well that I am right!

Spring

the day

Good, v' there Spring! Ah! bastard' laughs,

V' there the world enquier which is with Z' barks

And v' there you there not it you whore of Life

That still has R' news eun' time!

Natur' buys eun' youth,

has is disguised in green and in blue,

made its pear and its princess,

has makes me tarter, me, which make me old.

…

External bonds

'' Soliloquies of Poor the '', '' the popular Heart '' and other poems
Jehan-Grin on the black Cat

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